1.5 Stars Out of 4 for Parker's Restaurant

For this week's Globe review, Devra First visits Parker's Restaurant, which has been open since the 1800s (and "feels so two centuries ago,") and grants it one-and-a-half stars out of four, between "fair" and "good." Reflecting on the restaurant's storied past, she writes, "There are so few places like this left in the city. That is both lamentable and inevitable." The food is a mixed bag, from a "gruesome" and "overcooked" quail and a "soggy and small" crab cake to "nicely seared scallops" and a ravioli starter with "great flavors." In conclusion, "Parker's Restaurant keeps the past alive." [BG]

Also in the Globe this week, Catherine Smart files a "Cheap Eats" review of the newish Glenville Stops in Allston, and she's "rooting for" the place, which she finds mostly empty on all visits. "The Glenville Stops is just not yet discovered. Restaurant rookie Mike Chapman and his team are passionate, eager to please, and excited to be bringing something new to the neighborhood." Hits include the "deeply flavorful" carrot soup, "wonderfully savory" confit chicken sandwich, and the "really excellent" roasted beet salad. [BG]

Corby Kummer takes a look at Alden & Harlow for his monthly Boston Magazine review, concluding that there is a dissonance between the menu's enthusiastically "farm-to-table" focus and what chef/owner Michael Scelfo seems to actually be passionate about (meat). While the menu says "that farm-to-table thing," the food says, "'Here's an ambitious, strapping chef.' Scelfo is more interested in putting his stylistic stamp on his cuisine than he is in tenderly showcasing the English peas, wild mushrooms, and Little Gem lettuce that his dishes are named for." Highlights include the chicken-fried local rabbit with chili oil ("which might have been [Kummer's] favorite dish on the menu") and the Berkshire pork belly ("which might have been [Kummer has] had in Boston.") [BM]

Boston Burger Blog's Richard Chudy also reviewed Alden & Harlow this week — the burger, specifically. He went back a second time the same night to have another one because it was that good. "This might be the best burger I've had in the Boston area and maybe anywhere," he writes. "It is among...the beefiest and straight-up most satisfying bun and beef combinations out there, without question." Only the Cabot cheese tuile ("more of a distraction than anything") disappoints him, and he grants the burger 96 points out of a possible 100. [BBB]